How to Blow Up Time Force in Eight Easy Steps
by Tsukino Akume
Summary: Eric is tired of Time Force taking what's his. The Newtech Rangers decide it's time for some payback. Wes was expecting a rescue mission, but this wasn't quite what he had in mind. Bright Skies Universe.
1. Find Your Location

**Disclaimer/:** Seriously. If I owned it, this would have happened in cannon. Because Time Force is evil, the Newtech Rangers are awesome, and I want to see them face off, because it would be cool. And because the Newtech Rangers have somehow unintentionally become my Power Rangers Dream Team. -Pauses- I blame the muses, for making them so awesome.  
**Warnings/:** Use of explosives on a public building, character with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder  
**Author's Notes/: **This takes place between Chapter 36 of A Darker Shade of Red and Chapter 97 of Bright Skies, but can conceivably be read as a one-shot with only slight confusion. I lovingly blame this entire idea on starandrea and Marci, and as well as the support of fans of the Newtech Rangers and the Bright Skies universe. You guys wanted to see it, and darn it, it was fun. -Grins maniacally-

For aliseforemosex, because she needs cheering, and her comments always make me feel so good, and for silverkat1620, who pretty much pounced on the very idea of this and **demanded** it. I hope this makes you both smile. Thank you for making **my** day.

Step 1: Find Your Location

Less than six hours since Wes had disappeared, and Eric was about ready to pull his hair out.

At 5:36 am that morning, S.P.D.'s security satellite showed Wes assaulted by five men in white uniforms while taking Jen for their usual morning walk. Wes had fought well, but they'd ganged up on him, one of them pulling a blaster. It might have been a clean get away if not for Jen: the dog had fought viciously for Wes, biting one of their attackers, and had planted herself firmly in front of her owner, snarling, until they'd been forced to let Wes take her with him before they caused much more of a scene.

Eric had never been more proud of the stupid mutt.

That wasn't to say that he wasn't worried. Or absolutely furious. The security camera had caught the badge on one of the uniform's shoulders, and it was like stepping back into a nightmare from twenty-one years ago.

Time Force. Always messing things up. Always stealing what was his. Always coming after **Wes**, hurting him in one way or another.

_Dang it, Wes. How do you keep getting yourself into these things?_ he growled to himself.

"Exactly how long is it supposed to take to track **one** stupid morpher?" he demanded aloud.

Justin looked up long enough to give him a dark glare. "When that one stupid morpher isn't in this **time period** anymore, a lot longer than you'd think," he snapped. "And you're **not** helping!"

"You're not the only one who's worried about him, Quantum," Zhane said quietly. "Let Turbo and Bo do their jobs."

Eric paced, running a hand over his hair in frustration. "And just what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" he shot back.

"Stop annoying people for one, but that's impossible for you, isn't it?" Taylor retorted from where she leaned against the wall.

He shot her a black look.

R.J. breezed into the room with a mildly curious expression on his face. "What'd I miss?" he asked pleasantly.

"Not much," Chip informed him. He'd barely been there an hour, heading straight for S.P.D. Newtech as soon as he'd gotten the news. "They're still looking, and everyone's about to strangle Eric if he doesn't stop driving us crazy."

"Ah." R.J. looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned to Eric with a curious expression. "Have you thought about redirecting your energy into a more productive manner?"

Eric eyed him suspiciously. "I don't meditate," he said flatly.

"Shame," R.J. remarked. "But actually I was suggesting something a bit more ... physical. Sparring," he added as everyone stared at him. "Expelling physical energy as a way of venting emotional stress."

Eric closed his eyes for a moment, at last letting out a long sigh. "Yeah," he muttered. "That's probably a good idea." Wasn't like he was doing anything useful where he was.

R.J. brightened. "Well, then ... lead on, my man!"

Eric glanced at him, shaking his head with another sigh as headed into the hall. No matter how long he'd known him, he would never, ever, understand R.J.

* * *

"So the security satellite feeds didn't show anything ... unusual?" R.J. asked, grunting as Eric' fist caught him in the stomach.

"You mean - " Eric ducked a kick. "Besides five guys in Time Force uniforms - " He jumped back to avoid another punch, blocking the follow up with an arm. "Grabbing Wes and Jen off the street?"

R.J. caught his arm, twisting it around and aiming for his ribs. "Time Force uniforms?" he repeated, frowning.

"Yeah," Eric grunted, rolling his arm back and out of R.J.'s grasp and adding a hard kick. "Got a clear - " He spun away, striking up a defensive stance. "Shot of a badge. Apparently they're not too careful about that."

R.J. remained where he was as he tilted his head thoughtfully. The gesture was eerily familiar, and Eric clenched his fists as he tried not to picture Wes doing the same thing. "That's ... awfully confident of them," he commented, frowning deeper. "Wouldn't that suggest that they wanted us to know they have Wes? Which would ... also suggest a trap?"

Eric sighed, folding his arms. "It would, if we knew which Time Force we're dealing with. Their entire operation is run through time travel. They could have taken Wes anywhere, for all we know."

"So why don't we start with the Time Force we know?"

They both turned to look at the door. Sky was frowning at the ground, his arms folded as he thought. "Instead of scanning generally, why don't we start by eliminating Alex's Time Force?"

Eric glanced down at the way he was standing and dropped his arms, shifting uncomfortably as he cleared his throat. "Meaning what?"

Sky looked up. "If Dad's with the Time Force Rangers, there'd be two Red Chrono Morphers, right? According to Alex, they started up around the year 2985. So why don't we scan for two morphers in that year, and then move forward from there. If we don't find anything, then we can start looking somewhere else. But if that's the Time Force that keeps messing with us, it'd make the most sense if it was them, right?"

_My son is a genius_, Eric thought numbly, staring blankly at R.J. Then he paused. _Wait, 2985? Jen and the rest were from 3000, right?_

R.J. blinked back at him. "Huh. Why didn't we think of that?"

His words didn't make Sky smile or make a smart remark the way they normally would have, and Eric's eyes narrowed slightly. His gaze met R.J.'s, and the other man nodded subtly. "I do believe I have a date with a certain Minx, to convincing her to change her search pattern for our missing canines," R.J. said with deliberate casualty. "If I never see either of you again, give my regards to everyone, and I hope to meet you all in our next incarnations."

Sky barely managed an eye roll as R.J. wandered past him, but his head tilted slightly to look at his step-father when R.J. gripped his shoulder briefly. He didn't shrug it away either, which was odd for Sky. Eric knew he loved R.J. - was probably even more aware of it than Sky and R.J. actually were themselves - but Sky didn't appreciate gestures of physical affection from any of his parents when they were at S.P.D. Wes was the only one who get away with it; most likely because of the fact that he never took advantage of the opportunity.

He waited until R.J. was gone, not-so-subtly closing the door behind him, and looked at his son. "Sky?" he asked quietly.

Sky closed his eyes, and shuddered very, very slightly.

That was all it took for Eric to move swiftly across the room and pull him into a hug. Sky's arms immediately came around him, clinging almost desperately. He buried his face against Eric's shoulder, his entire body trembling.

Eric squeezed him tighter, running a hand over Sky's back and wishing painfully that he was Wes right now. Wes was so much better at comforting Sky than he was, always had been. Whether it came from knowing him longer, being his biological father, or just being _Wes_, he didn't know. Wes just ... Wes was a lot of things. And when Sky needed a hug or reassurance, it had always been Wes he'd gone to.

"We'll find him, Sky," he murmured, swallowing hard as his voice came out hoarse. "We **will**."

"I can't go through this again," Sky whispered, voice cracking. "I ... I **can't**."

He closed his eyes. _Time Force is going to burn for this. I don't know how or when, but __**somehow**__ they are going to pay._ "You won't."

"You don't know that."

He pulled away just enough to lift Sky's chin, forcing the teen to meet his eyes. "We're going to get him back," he said firmly. "I **will not** lose anyone else to Time Force. Never again, do you hear me?"

Sky stared at him, and the hopeless look in his eyes made it feel like someone was squeezing Eric's chest in a vice. "What if he never comes back, like Alex and Ben? What if ... " His voice cracked again, falling so soft Eric almost couldn't hear him. "What if you **do** find him, but it's like Bethie and Jack? What if it's been so long since he last saw us he doesn't even know who we are anymore?"

_Fire. Lots, and lots of fire. Everyone who so much as wears their uniform is about to be ashes._

_... I wonder if Vanessa and Justin could figure out a way to get Q-Rex through a timeportal._

"Sky," he said again, narrowing his eyes. "I will **never**, **ever** leave your dad behind again, and I'm not letting him leave me behind." He lifted his wedding ring for Sky to see, making sure the light caught the silver and red enough to shine. "I told him that we were partners, in everything. And I don't abandon my teammates."

Sky looked up slowly at him, and his eyes were slightly red and watery. "What if **you** don't come back?"

He swore he could **feel** his heart breaking.

He brought his hands up from Sky's shoulders to cup either side of the teen's face. "Sky ... " He stopped, trying to find words for what he wanted. Wes was the one with the words. The one who always knew what to say. Even when he didn't speak out loud, Wes could make everything better with a smile or a look.

But he wasn't Wes.

_I need you, Wes_, he thought desperately. _I barely kept this kid together for you once. I don't think I could do it again._

At last he closed his eyes with a sigh, letting his forehead fall against Sky's. _I need you, Wes. I ... I need you to tell me what to say._

And almost like a memory from a dream, he remembered.

-- _Wes holding his hand, squeezing almost painfully tight beneath the table, and he'd never been so grateful to hear the bones in his hand actually creak. He could see his father now, just entering the restaurant. And the jerk was actually __**hesitating**__ at the door. Five years since they'd so much as spoken, and he didn't even have the nerve to walk inside and just __**talk**__ to his own son._

_ Maybe he wasn't Charlie, and maybe he wasn't his father's favorite, but he was still __**here**__ wasn't he?_

_ He wasn't aware he was snarling under his breath until Wes leaned in closer to murmur into his ear "Just give him a minute, Eric. This is hard for him, too. He'll be here. Just wait."_

_ And then his father was moving swiftly towards them, shoulders firm and back straight as if the hesitation had never even been there and he just wanted to __**run**__. He wanted to leave, to tell him off for __**daring**__ to try to make things right again, to - to - _

_ "Wes," he hissed under his breath, feeling himself begin to panic, "What am I supposed to __**say**__?"_

_ Wes' thumb rubbed the back of his hand, and while the sensation was still new enough to still surprise him, it managed to calm him enough to fight the urge to bolt for the exit. "Just say what you feel, Eric," Wes said softly, giving his hand a softer, gentler squeeze now. "Just say what's in your heart."_ --

_Easy for you to say, Wes_, he thought now, just as he had then. _Your heart's still on your stupid sleeve._

"Do you remember," he began slowly at last, "What I used to tell you about your dad? Then?"

He heard Sky swallow. "You said that we had to have faith in him, so he could have faith in himself. Because if we believed enough that he'd wake up again, he would."

He smiled faintly, remembering the wide-eyed look of desperate hope the eight-year-old had given him then, even as he pulled back again to look the cynical eighteen-year-old version in the eye. "So I'm asking you to have faith in **both** of us now, Sky. Believe that we'll be okay, and we'll come back."

Sky's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm not eight-years-old anymore, Eric."

"No kidding. You were easier to shove under an arm and carry around then," he retorted, but he still softened his a tone a little. "I'm not asking for blind faith this time, Sky. I'm asking for trust. I'm asking you to trust me, and trust your dad, and trust that we love you enough to fight to come back to you."

He knew, better than anyone, exactly what he was asking of his son. He knew how hard it was for Sky to trust after losing so many people. They had each come back, but nothing had ever been the same as it was before they'd left him, and even when he consciously understood, deep down Sky was unable to forgive them for it. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he was too afraid of being hurt again.

But Eric held his gaze, **willing** Sky to believe him. In Wes, who had always kept his promises to come back to him. Maybe things had changed, but that promise had never been broken, and Eric wasn't about to let it happen now.

He knew all too well that it would absolutely destroy them both.

Sky closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh that turned into another slight shudder. "I trust you," he whispered. Then he was leaning forward, pressing his forehead against Eric's shoulder again as his arms fell to his sides. "I love you," he mumbled against Eric's shirt.

Eric wrapped one arm around him with a soft sigh, reaching up to card his fingers through Sky's hair with the other hand. "Love you too, Brat," he murmured. _Please, Wes. Don't make me a liar. Please be okay._

There was a longer pause, and one of Sky's hands came up to grip his shirt. "I want to go with you."

He sighed again, because this was an argument Sky would **never** win with him, for many reasons. And the kid knew it. "I know."

_And I'll be six feet under before I let you get within one hundred years of Time Force._

The intercom chimed. "_Specialist Sergeant Captain Eric Myers, please report to Lab 6. Specialist Sergeant Captain Eric Myers, please report to Lab 6._"

* * *

"We found him," Justin confirmed wearily as he passed Eric back his morpher. "November 13th, 3002 shows a sudden flux in the Morphin Grid, presumably due to the presence of two Red Chrono Morphers."

"So you found him," Taylor repeated. She glanced around the room. "Great. Now what?"

"Now I'm going after him."

"What?" Vanessa demanded as everyone turned to stare at him.

Eric finished buckling the strap on his morpher, running a hand over the face experimentally as the flash finally died down to make sure that whatever Vanessa and Justin had done while using it to scan for Wes hadn't damaged anything. At last he glanced up. "I said, I'm going after Wes," he told them pointedly.

"Eric - "

"You can't just - "

"But that's - "

R.J., he noted absently, didn't look remotely surprised. Neither did Zhane. Vanessa looked faintly annoyed.

"It's my husband," he cut in above the din, eyes narrowing. That shut them up. "It's my family they've been after, and it's the jerks who've been messing my life for years. I'm *going*." He turned for the door, muttering "Just try to stop me."


	2. Preparations

Step 2: Preparations

"I'm going with you."

The jerk had the gall to not even bother looking at her as she stepped up beside him to take an S.P.D. Blaster. "Yeah. Right," he snorted.

Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not joking."

Finally he turned to look at her, seeming almost bored. "And what exactly makes you think you're qualified to go on a rescue mission right now?"

She restrained herself from kicking him in the shin. "You toad," she snarled. "Pull your Red Ranger head out of your butt for five seconds, would you? Do you know how to generate a time portal? No," she cut in before he could say anything. "You don't. Do you know how to hack a security lock, if he's being held in a hell somewhere? Can you repair a morpher if it's broken? Jury-rig a comm unit to S.P.D. if something goes wrong? Figure out their technology if Wes needs medical attention?" She jabbed her finger into his chest as he tried to speak again. "No. You can't. You **need** me. You need a team, not to run off playing hero on your own. And Wes would never forgive you if you tried."

"You're pregnant," he reminded her when she paused for breath.

She did kick him then. "Barely a month along, you moron! I'm not helpless!"

He cursed, stepping back with a glare. "I never **said** you were helpless. And hey, if you weren't pregnant, we probably wouldn't even be having this conversation. But you **are**, and it's **my** kid, and I don't want you doing anything stupid, all right?!"

That made her pause, looking at him carefully. "Are you actually worried about me?" she asked warily.

His eyes narrowed. "Are you deaf? I'm worried about the **baby**, genius."

She stared. "You are," she said in surprise, startled and somewhat touched. If he wasn't being such a neurotic, overprotective freak about this, it might almost be sweet. "You're actually worried about me and the baby."

"Well at least you've got it half right," he said sarcastically, strapping his blaster to his belt. He headed down the hall.

She followed him. "Eric, there's barely anything **to** worry about," she argued. "I'm perfectly capable of - "

"Of taking an embryo through a time portal, exposing it to possible radiation?" he interrupted. "Of exposing it to **Morphin** energy radiation? We've already seen how well **that** goes over."

She flinched slightly, stung. "I would never let anything happen to this baby, Eric," she said quietly.

He stopped walking, turning to look at her with a sigh. "I know." He ran a hand over his hair, looking slightly uncomfortable. "If I didn't trust you, I would never have agreed to this in the first place."

It was probably the nicest thing he had ever said to her. She fought to keep in a smile, reminding herself that there was a 'but' coming. With Eric, there was **always** a 'but'.

And it was usually attached to his head.

"But no one expected the morpher project to explode either, did they?" he continued, looking at her seriously now. "And yeah, the kids ended up okay, but we didn't know that at first, did we? We still don't know for sure what's going to happen to **this** kid because of that." He shook his head as she frowned. "Look at Bridge. He was about where the baby is now, right? We **still** don't know everything about what he can do. And you want to put our baby into a **timeportal**?" He shook his head again, looking agitated now. "And even then ... what if we have to morph? What if we get into a fight? There's so many things that could go wrong and - "

She covered his mouth with a hand. "Eric," she said sharply.

He scowled at her.

She spoke quickly, knowing he was about two seconds away from biting her. "I will talk to Dana, and Aisha, and Ashley, and even Katherine and Kat. If they **all** - and I mean every single one of them, unanimous vote - agree that the baby will be okay, will you stop fighting me on this?"

He hesitated, and she went in for the kill, keeping her voice soft. "He's my best friend, Eric." She paused, swallowing as her heart suddenly ached. "He's ... I wouldn't have my family without Wes. I'm worried about him." She took a deep breath, looking up into his eyes. "I love him too," she added, softer now.

They stared at each other.

At last Eric closed his eyes, and she bit back a grin of triumph. "Fine," he growled. "But **only** if they agree. **All** of them, Vanessa."

"All of them," she promised.

As they headed down the hall again, she wondered what the year 3002 would look like.

* * *

"What is **that** thing?" Taylor demanded.

Justin glanced up. "You mean this?" he asked, half lifting the box in his hands. It looked something like a handheld video game, with odd attachments on the sides. "It's the Turbo Navigator 2.0."

She raised her eyebrows. "2.0?"

"The original was lost with the Power Chamber," he explained absently, tapping something on the screen. "I built this one on Aquitar, out of some spare parts I found in the Dome of Lights one day when I was bored."

Vanessa glanced at her female teammate. Taylor rolled her eyes at her, and she looked down, fighting a smile. Justin was considerably less arrogant than certain other men she knew, but it was easy to forget exactly how smart he was. Something Justin liked to remind them in the most subtle ways.

"Here."

Rose placed something in her hand, and she looked up at her in surprise. "The Zip Shooter?"

Rose nodded, giving a her slight smile. "You can use it with your Drive Defender if you need to. It might come in handy."

She looked at the other woman for a moment before at last giving her a small smile back. She knew the other Overdrive Rangers had a hard time dealing with her sometimes, for a lot of reasons. She didn't blame them. Lending her one of their team's weapons was one of the kindest gestures they could have done. "Thanks."

"You should take R.I.C. with you."

She glanced at the door, where Jack leaned against a wall watching Sky pace. He shrugged when he noticed her looking at him. "We've got the Delta Enforcers, and I'm sure Kat could whip up something else if we need it. You might need the extra firepower," he said simply. "Besides. He likes you guys."

"He likes Dad," Sky murmured.

Jack shrugged. "Whatever. He's small enough to fit through the portal, too."

There was a pause as Vanessa looked at Justin and Taylor to see what they thought. "Thank you," she said finally. "We'll take good care of him."

Jack gave her an easy grin. "Oh, I don't doubt that."

Zhane strolled in, tossing the three of them each an S.P.D. blaster. "Fresh out of lockup," he informed them cheerfully, patting his own sidearm. "I gotta admit, should be interesting using one of these babies."

Vanessa frowned. "Why would you use one?"

He blinked at her. "Because I'm going with you."

"Why are **you** going?" Taylor asked warily.

"Because Astro's a Newtech Ranger too," Chip informed them as he strolled in, medical kit tucked under one arm. "If we're almost ready, Tommy wants us to leave from the Command Center."

Vanessa frowned. "He is?" she asked, ignoring the second part of his statement.

"Yup," Zhane said cheerfully. "I'm special. I get two teams."

"You're 'special' all right," Justin snorted. He leaned away as Zhane moved to playfully shove his shoulder and almost fell off the console he was sitting on.

"Brat," Zhane retorted. He looked at Vanessa, still smiling, but the look in his eyes was serious. "I go with whichever team needs me the most. And right now, Time needs me."

She nodded slowly and let out a long sigh. "Eric isn't going to like this," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

Taylor snorted, obviously overhearing. "That's an understatement."

"Good thing he doesn't get a say about his Sixths then, huh?" Zhane asked cheerfully.

Vanessa frowned as she tucked the blaster into her belt next to the Zip Shooter and followed the others, wondering if he'd meant to use the plural form.

* * *

"Are you sure there isn't anything else you'll need?" Tommy pressed, looking worried. "There has to be something else we can - "

"We'll be fine, Tommy," Justin sighed, more used to the commander's fussing than the rest of them. "If we don't have it, I'm sure we can find it or build it."

Tommy chuckled a little. "You probably can," he agreed with a reluctant smile. It faded as he looked over the group. "Be careful, all of you."

"Come home safely," Kimberly said softly, biting her lip anxiously. It was as much an order as it was a request.

"Am I late?"

Vanessa glanced at the doorway, only marginally surprised to see R.J. Then she realized he was wearing his Pai Zhua uniform, and frowned.

"Right on time," Zhane promised him, reaching out to bump wrists with him. He offered the S.P.D. Blaster he'd been playing with for the last five minutes.

R.J. shook head, raising his hands. "Uh ... no thanks. I'm ... more of a ... questions first, shoot later kind of guy."

Zhane looked amused. "You still might need it for shooting later," he pointed out.

"I'm good, thanks," R.J. promised. "I've got plenty of firepower all on my own." He looked around for a moment, smiling brightly. "So. Are we leaving?"

Eric stared at him. "You're not going."

R.J. raised an eyebrow at him. "Actually ... I believe I am."

It was funny, she mused thoughtfully, the way Eric's temple seemed to throb sometimes when he was frustrated. She wondered if he knew about it. She knew Wes did. R.J. seemed to enjoy creating that throb.

She glanced at her husband and found him raising an eyebrow at her now. Did she mind?

She frowned for a moment, thinking. While she hadn't expected him to come with them, she was surprised to realize the thought was ... reassuring somehow. It made her feel safer.

She blamed it on the hormones.

She shook her head slightly in response, and saw him brighten. She knew how she felt about it didn't actually make a difference whether or not he'd go, but it made him feel better to know they wouldn't be fighting about it while they were gone. Despite what Wes and Eric, and even Sky, liked to think about their relationship, they didn't actually fight that often, and neither one of them liked it when they did.

Eric was puffed up now in the way that meant he was about to deliver his arguments about why R.J. wasn't going, when R.J. stepped closer to him. "You're not the Sixth on this team, Eric," he murmured, and if she hadn't been standing as close as she had, she wouldn't have even heard him.

That seemed to make Eric pause for some reason, looking at R.J. suspiciously. "We have one," he muttered back, gesturing slightly towards Zhane.

R.J. smiled, but something about it seemed unpleasant. "No. You have two."

They stared at each other for several minutes.

At last Eric turned away, muttering darkly to himself. "Well, are we leaving or not?" he demanded, glaring at Kat. "We're wasting time here!"

Vanessa smirked as R.J. came closer, taking her hand with a calm, pleased smile. When would Eric learn? He could never win against family.

They knew him too well.


	3. Assess the Situation

Step 3: Assess the Situation

"Okay," Chip breathed weakly as his stomach finally calmed. "That ... was worse than a hyperjump."

He'd always been sensitive to high speed travel, ever since he first became a Ranger. It wasn't so much the speed that was the problem, but rather the technology involved. Ranger Powers? Good old fashioned magic? No problem. But put him in a space ship - or walk him through a timeportal apparently - and he'd be doubled over by the time they made it to the other side.

Justin rubbed his back soothingly, looking sympathetic as R.I.C. whined anxiously beside them. "At least it's over now," he offered.

"Thank goodness," Chip muttered in relief, taking several more breaths. Stomach sufficiently calmed - and contents expelled - he stood up to get his first real glimpse of the future.

It was ... surprisingly disappointing.

"It looks the same," he said with a frown. "Just ... taller. And rounder."

"Cleaner," Justin observed.

Zhane wrinkled his nose. "Sterile."

"There isn't much natural life around here," R.J. commented quietly, seeming upset. "It's too ... "

"Cold," Taylor finished softly, her eyes on the sky. "Like the planet's suffocating."

"Found him."

They all turned to look at Eric in surprise. He was looking at the tiny map projected above his morpher with a certain amount of satisfaction, even as he frowned. "He's ... with the other Time Force Rangers."

"What are those two red dots?" Vanessa asked, frowning too as she leaned in closer to him to examine the map. "And the darker red one?"

"The red dots are Wes and Alex," he answered, scowling. He tapped something and paused, seeming to pale slightly. "The dark red is ... the Quantum Morpher."

"Like, another one?" Chip wanted to know. "Like there's two of you?"

Eric was silent for a moment. Vanessa and Taylor were both watching him with concerned looks, while R.J. was frowning at the ground for some reason. Chip exchanged glances with Justin and Zhane, but they didn't seem to know what was bothering Eric anymore than he did.

"The original Quantum Ranger is gone," Eric said finally, his voice tight. "They must have given it to someone else."

"They can do that?" Zhane wondered. "I thought Time said his morpher had a DNA lock on it."

"**His** does," Eric corrected shortly. "Mine doesn't."

Chip frowned, taking in how uncomfortable their temporary leader was. "Hey, Turbo. Can I see the Turbo Nav?" he asked brightly.

Justin handed it over with a shrug. "So what do we do now?" he wondered, looking around.

Chip busied himself with bringing up the intergalactic news channel, tuning out the conversations around him. It was something he'd done often on Aquitar after Justin had built the little device, sometimes out of boredom; sometimes to see if there was any news of home. He was a little surprised when he actually got a hit. He hadn't been entirely sure the Navigator would be able to connect to whatever model of the INC they used in the future.

He scanned the immediate articles for anything of interest. If Wes was here, there had to be a reason, right? Even if Time Force was keeping him quiet, there'd still be some sort of indication that -

He stopped in mid-scan, blinking.

"Hey, uh, guys?" he managed finally. "I think I know why Time is here."

"What is it?" Eric demanded instantly, appearing at his side so fast Chip jumped in surprise.

Chip cleared his throat uncomfortably, staring down at the article he'd found as he read aloud. "Surprise witness in the trial of The People versus Commander Jonathan Blakemore of Time Force, Sergeant Commander Wesley Collins takes the stand. Commander Collins appears at the request of Commander Blakemore, but maintains that he finds the Commander at fault for actions taken against Mr. Alexander Collins of the Newtech City Library, Time Force Red Ranger, and student Benjamin Myers, Quantum Ranger. After bringing to light surprise information about both Alexander Collins and Benjamin Myers, Commander Collins was originally intended to be returned to his time period of origin as Time Force Law dictates, but refused on the grounds that he wanted to 'see this man (Commander Blakemore) brought to justice'. Captain Jennifer Scotts, Time Force Pink, supported Commander Collins' request, and asked that he be released to the authority of the Time Force Rangers. Commander Collins refused to make a statement to the public, and was immediate escorted off Time Force property by the Rangers."

He looked up to say something and reached out to grab Eric's arm in alarm. "Hey, are you okay?"

Eric blinked for a moment. "Alexander Collins ... and Benjamin Myers?" he murmured, swaying slightly. He looked even paler than before. He reached out to grab Chip's arm abruptly, squeezing. "Chip, what's the date on that?"

Chip winced slightly at the strength of Eric's grip. "Uh ... It's ... dated today."

Eric blinked again, and this time the sway was more obvious. "T-today?"

R.J. caught him, grabbing his shoulder in support. "Deep breaths," he commanded quietly. "Focus on the situation at hand. Passing out is not so beneficial to the goal."

"I'm not going to pass out," Eric muttered darkly, but he didn't look too sure of himself.

"I thought Time said Ben was shot, and he didn't make it," Justin said slowly. "Why is he being listed as a student when he never left Time Force before?"

"He was," Vanessa answered him shortly. "That's what Alex said the last time they saw him."

"Apparently Alex was wrong," Zhane remarked, ignoring the look she shot him for it.

"We need a rescue plan," Taylor spoke up sharply. She was still staring at the sky for some reason. "The longer we sit around, the more likely Time Force is to detect us."

"So ... what do we do?" Chip asked hesitantly.

There was a long silence.

"We take out Time Force."

They all turned to stare at Eric. The pale, stunned expression was gone, replaced by dark fury. Chip was more than slightly intimidated.

"Excuse me?" Vanessa demanded.

He looked at her. "We blow up Time Force," he said again. "I'm sick of them messing around with us. It's time to make sure they never come after my family again."

Justin frowned. "Quantum, we can't just - "

"I'm not talking about the whole building," Eric cut in impatiently. "I'm talking about key points of their operation. Communications, teleportation, landing bays, timehole generators. We cripple their functions and they'll spend months trying to fix it. Months away from **us**."

"That seems unnecessarily violent," R.J. said slowly, frowning. "And considerably dangerous. I ... don't think I like this idea."

"R.J." Eric's voice was soft, urgent. His eyes bored into the other man's with an intensity that was frightening. "They kidnapped my kids and **tortured** them. They **hurt** my family. Now they've got Wes. What if they come after Sky next? The baby?"

R.J. stayed silent, but something about him seemed suddenly menacing. Chip took a step back uncertainly.

"No civilian casualties," R.J. said abruptly.

"Never in question," Eric returned swiftly. "We'll have to figure out something to get them out of the building, but we won't take lives. I just want Time Force."

"How exactly do you expect to do this?" Justin interrupted, looking annoyed. "It's not like we're carrying any explosives with us. Do we know anything about the layout of the building? How many people will be inside? We're on a rescue mission. You're talking about terrorism!"

"I'm talking about self-defense," Eric snapped. "I'm talking about making sure they can't stop us from taking Wes home, and making sure they **stay away**." He surveyed Justin coolly. "Don't even bother to tell me you haven't already thought of something we could use for explosives," he added. "'If we don't have it, we can find it or build it', right?"

Justin scowled at him. "Wes is supposed to be our priority," he reminded them.

"He **is** my priority," Eric shot back, glaring. "Rescuing Wes is the only reason we're here. But Time Force has proven over and over that we can't trust them. How do we know they'll actually send him back? How do we know they won't come take him again?" He paused, looking down for a moment. When he looked back up again, his eyes were still dark, but this time it wasn't anger: it was fear. "I don't want to lose my kids again, Justin."

Justin closed his eyes. For several minutes, they all watched him, waiting. Chip already knew what Justin would decide; despite what Eric might have believed, Justin was as loyal to Wes as any of them. And loyalty to a teammate meant loyalty to their family, too. What he was waiting for was the plan.

When Justin's eyes opened again, they were cold, calculating. "We need to know the layout of the building, a rough guess of how many people will be there tomorrow, and a distraction."

"I can give you a distraction," Taylor spoke up. She was still watching the sky, but she was smiling now. She reached into the pocket of her S.P.D. uniform, pulling out a tiny golden ball. "I can give you a **loud** distraction."

Something bright yellow soared above them, so high in the clouds they almost didn't see it. Chip looked up, blinking, and grinned. "Oh, this is gonna be **fun**," he laughed.


	4. Reconnaissance

**Author's Notes/:** R.J.'s wolf spirit form was inspired by this picture: twilighthawktaini. deviantart. com/ art/ Wolf-sky-spirit-107387958 Many thanks to the artist, without whom his part may not have been written.

Step 4: Reconnaissance

He moved on swift paws across ground that should have made him slip, if he had been any more substantial. (_Metal floors, terrible for traction. The kitchen tile was the same, and he had insisted on rugs for the hardwood floors for that reason, no matter how many strange looks he was given._) The room he surveyed was as cold and dark as they had all been so far, with tiny lights that hurt his eyes in the darkness, and the faint smell of humans who were no longer there. Smaller rooms everywhere, and humans who stared into the night but could not see him watching over them. (_At least twenty timeships of various sizes, definitely a problem they would need to remedy._)

He moved into another long, dark hallway, peering into the darkness. The human's eyes could not see him as he was, but he still needed to watch for those with Sight, like his pack would possess. He could not be found.

The hall was as empty as other rooms had been, and he moved on, searching for more tiny flashing lights. The tiny lights were important. (_Timeships were located, still needed communications and teleportation._)

Success! Tiny lights everywhere, flashing so brightly it hurt to look. (_Their Command Center!_) There were humans here too, and he moved among them cautiously. One approached too close, and he scrambled to the side to avoid touching. He moved too quickly and bumped into the wall, fighting down a soft yelp of pain. (_Rolling his shoulder with a grimace, because that __**hurt**__._)

He paused to watch as one human fussed over a group of flashing lights, calling for another. He lowered his head, listening carefully.

"I'm telling you, it was a timehole!"

"An anomaly that small, and that fast? Impossible. You're imagining things."

"I'm not imagining these readings!"

"So it could have been a naturally occurring rip. They **happen**. Stop panicking."

"Just because they happen doesn't mean we shouldn't be cautious. What if something came through?"

"Then we'd have already detected it. Seriously. It's nothing. Forget about it."

" ... Are you **sure** we shouldn't report it?"

"Mention it in your morning report, but don't make a big deal about it. If the higher ups think it's a problem, they'll let us know. Now can I get back to work?"

His ears went back as he suppressed a snarl. The arrival of his Pack had been noted, but not their presence. (_He needed to warn the others. No telling how long their good luck would last._)

Wait.

He inched closer to the door, sniffing the air.

_Packmate. Family._

(_Wes!_)

The urge to howl was strong. He bolted down the hall again, tracing the scent. There were many others here, but his Packmate was the only scent that mattered. There!

He stopped to sniff the ground, circling. Strange males, sweaty and angry. Packmate. Packsister. Anger. Fear. Sadness. (_Wes and Jen. Wes had been held prisoner, Jen had stayed with him. Wes was scared and upset, Jen was trying to protect him._)

The scent moved on, into a room where it was nearly overpowered by the smell of other humans. Packmate and Packsister had stood here, next to the cold no-smell place that made his nose hurt. Anger. Pain. Sadness. Joy. Love. (_Wes had stood before many people, feeling so many emotions the scent was dizzying. Some sort of holographic projector beside him? The cold scent of technology burned his nose across the distance, and he rubbed it absently with a frown._)

A new scent. One he did not know, but it stayed beside Packmate and Packsister. They had joined other scents, then left ... the room? No, they had gone beyond this place. Packmate was sad now. Happy. Scared. (_Wes must have found the Time Force Rangers. There were ... six of them. Two female, four male. One much younger than the rest. All agitated. Wes was still afraid. Happy to see them, but ... not._)

Packmate and Packsister had left this place, but the ones with them had started from another direction. He followed it swiftly, wanting to know more about these strangers and where they came from. (_The Time Force Rangers may have access to other places they would need to take care of. He needed to know if they were a threat. He knew Wes considered them to be his friends, but even friends could hurt each other when their priorities were not the same._)

The strangers had moved up high, to a place that smelled cold and warm at the same time. It burned his nose, but felt good to his fur. A large door meant to kept him out, but doors were nothing to him in this form. (_Interesting security system, but nothing he couldn't handle. Justin would laugh at it._)

Inside he found more strange smells, and the scent of the strangers soaked into everything. This must be their den. Lots of emotions here: happiness, joy, fear, anger, hurt, love. Cold smells that burned his nose like the others, but warm energy from ... somewhere? It seemed to come from everywhere at once. (_The Time Force Rangers' base. They seemed to have their own communications and technology here, as well as several small projects that seemed to be scattered everywhere, as if the person working on them couldn't seem to focus on just one. He could feel the energy of the Morphin Grid here, but he couldn't find its source._)

Now that he knew location of their den, he followed the scent of the stranger that had joined Wes first, curious. His scent was the oldest, and full of many emotions. It seemed to go throughout the building, leading him to many places he would not have found through idle wandering. (_Offices, private landing zones, corporate meeting rooms. Whoever this Ranger was, he knew many important people. Yet ... he always seemed sad and angry and scared. Why was that?_)

He traced the stranger's scent to a long, dark hallway. The walls were colder than before, and he whined instinctively at the faint, old smells of death and pain coming from a door at the end. Slowly, carefully, he slunk along the floor, knowing that something important lay here because his human spirit demanded it, but his instincts screamed to run away from the Bad Place. ( _... Were those pictures of Wes and Eric on the walls? What __**was**__ this place?_)

And then he found the rooms.

* * *

R.J. snapped to himself sharply, gasping as he clutched at his heart. His cheeks felt damp, and his nose seemed to be running. For several moments he took his time breathing, trying to calm his emotions while stretching out the cramps in his fingers from all the sketching he'd done of what his wolf spirit had seen.

"R.J.?"

Vanessa's voice was soft, with an underlying hint of anxiousness. She said nothing when he looked at her, only offering him tissue that he had no idea where she'd gotten. "Your nose is bleeding," she explained simply.

He blinked. "Ah," he said hoarsely.

"Are ... you all right?" Chip asked hesitantly, looking worried. "I mean, that was seriously cool and all, and ... sort of creepy? But you don't look so good."

"You were howling," Taylor informed him flatly, glaring.

He blinked again, pressing the tissue to his nose to catch the blood. "I ... was?"

"We heard a wolf from somewhere over there," Zhane explained, pointing in the distance to the building he'd been casing. "I don't think they usually have wolves in this city. At night. On rooftops."

"Uh ... no," he agreed absently, tilting his head back in an effort to stop the bleeding. "I ... don't believe they do."

"Are you all right?" Vanessa's voice was soft as she sat beside him, leaning into his shoulder in a way that was more reassuring than if she'd hugged him or held his hand. "You've never gotten a nosebleed from wandering before," she murmured, pressing closer. She seemed to hesitate. " ... And you're crying."

"Am I?" he asked distantly. His nose was warm and wet now, as was the rest of his face, because he couldn't seem to get himself under control. "That would be because this doesn't normally happen," he added in after thought. "My ... wandering doesn't usually involve investigating so many scents."

At home, he often let his spirit wander when everyone else was asleep or in bed. It was a great way to 'stretch his legs' so to speak, as well as keeping an eye on his family. Vanessa had been startled the first time she'd seen the wolf, but her natural curiosity had lead to many questions, and now she would often stop to greet him when she got up in the middle of the night. Her level of comfort and relaxation around him in that form had been surprising, but it was one of the reasons he loved her enough to legalize their relationship; something he would never have done before.

Eric was crouching in front of him now, his eyes dark with barely-visible worry. "What did you see?"

Vanessa glared at him, but R.J. smiled tiredly at his concern. "I found the areas we need to disable. Also ... they may have detected our arrival, but they don't seem to have noticed **us** so much. Wes is ... " He paused, searching for the right words. "Upset," he said carefully. "He was held in a cell until he was brought to a courtroom, and left with the Time Force Rangers."

Eric scowled for a moment, before looking at him warily. "What's wrong with you?"

He hesitated. "The ... nosebleed is probably from the amount of ...strange smells," he explained awkwardly, hoping they wouldn't ask him to clarify. "The um, display of emotion is ... something else."

Eric's eyes narrowed. "What did you see, R.J.?"

He shifted uncomfortably, checking to see if his nose had stopped bleeding yet. It hadn't.

"R.J.," Eric growled.

He felt Vanessa's body tense in anger. "Leave him - "

"A laboratory," he said quietly.

They both went silent.

He paused, frowning as he searched for words to explain what he'd found. "It was ... old," he told them slowly. "Not used recently. There was pain, and death. Lots of fear." He stopped again, looking up at Eric warily. "I think ... I may have found where Alexander and Benjamin were ... raised." He paused.

R.J. was a pacifist.

What most people didn't realize about pacifists was that while they preferred to avoid conflict, that did not mean they were incapable of it. There are in fact certain circumstances where even a pacifist may find themselves prone to violence. It was rare, and he tried to avoid those instances as much as he possibly could, but sometimes it was ultimately, inevitably, regrettable, but necessary.

Time Force was a threat to his Pack. Not just the Pack, but his **family**, which was unacceptable. The very idea of harm coming to any of his cubs set his nerves on edge and made his spirit howl. And when it came to threats, it was sometimes necessary to make a preemptive strike.

Or in some cases, avenge a hurt so deep, so unforgivable, that punishment for the sake of the Pack was necessary.

"I want to bring Time Force to the ground," he informed them all. "And I have a plan."

(_His spirit snarled somewhere deep inside, demanding __**blood**__ for what had been done to his Packmates' cubs._)

.com/watch?v=fT0mUV8LuYQ


	5. Plant the Charges

Step 5: Plant the Charges

"Zhane, there is no way they're going to think you're Time Force," Taylor informed him flatly. "A white uniform and charm is not going to get you in the door."

"You think I'm charming?" He batted his eyes at her. "Lightspeed, I'm flattered!"

"Astro!" Justin snapped. "Pay attention!"

"I am," he protested. "I'm paying complete attention to you. I need to put the blasters in the places with the little 'x's on them, press the button, and tell you when I'm done. I've totally got this, Turbo. Trust me."

Justin muttered something under his breath, but he didn't argue. Whether he admitted it or not, he knew better.

It was times like this when Zhane appreciated his past. Years of fighting for KO-35 and life with the rebels had taught him a lot of special skills not many people new about - not even the Astro Rangers. Andros knew some of what he could do, but while he loved Andros, his friend was a bit ... 'strict' when it came to legal activities. He didn't like to encourage Zhane to show off his skills unless he had to.

But then there was Aquitar.

Aquitar had been like KO-35 all over again. They were fighting a losing battle, and they **knew** it. The only difference was that the home they were fighting for wasn't their own, and they stayed out of sheer stubbornness rather than loyalty to the planet. And the fact that Andros and the Kerova Rangers weren't with him.

He hadn't been sure what to make of his new 'teammates' at the time. Andros was his team, and Ashley, T.J., Carlos, Cassie, and Ko-lin because of Andros. He hadn't wanted a new team. He was there because Tommy and Cruger had asked him to, because the Aquitian Rangers **needed** him, and because he didn't want to see another planet fall. He didn't trust the others with him, not really. He considered them friends, but there was nothing special between them.

Until the day they had been so desperate to know what was on the newest of Grumm's ships that had arrived they'd seriously started to debate sneaking someone on to investigate.

"I can do it," he'd told them. "Seriously. I can do this."

"Okay," Wes had agreed immediately.

One of the things he liked about Wes was his complete faith in people. Wes barely knew him at the time, but Zhane said he could do it, and Wes believed him. That was just the way Wes was. Whether he'd realized it or not, whether Tommy and Cruger had known it when they'd sent him with the team, Wes was what had kept the Newtech Rangers together on Aquitar. His faith in his team and their abilities was absolute and without question. He could think on his feet, and use what ever information they gave him to coordinate a plan. If he didn't have a plan, he'd immediately support whoever managed one, no matter how thin it was. He trusted them that much. For absolutely no reason.

And he'd been right, every single time.

Even when things went wrong, and they had to backtrack or scramble to fix a hole in the plan, Wes never blamed anyone for it. He wouldn't even let them blame each other. 'We're all we've got,' he used to say. 'We need to stick together.'

Wes was the first person besides Andros that Zhane had sworn complete loyalty to. Even if Wes wasn't aware of it.

It was strange not having Wes with them now. Unbalanced. Justin and Chip were aware of it subconsciously, judging by their underlying tension, while R.J. was blatantly aware just as he was. He wasn't sure if Taylor or Vanessa knew, and Eric was too busy focusing on the task at hand to pretend he wasn't worried sick about Wes to notice.

The Newtech Rangers had a system. R.J. liked to call it a 'balance of power', or 'triangle' sometimes: something to do with his training at Pai Zhua that had gone completely over Zhane's head. The old team hadn't had it, because their formation had been too formal. And as much as he missed Tori and Dax - missed them so much it physically _hurt_, even now - he liked the new system.

There were two 'teams' within the team; the 'triangles' R.J. liked to refer to. One was Wes, Eric, Vanessa, and R.J. The other was Taylor, Justin, Chip, and himself. Wes and Chip were the members of the team that kept them all laughing, kept their spirits up when they were down. Eric and Taylor were the protectors. Justin and Vanessa were the brains of the operation. And he and R.J. were the 'Sixths', who provided balance, support, protection, and an outside point of view when it was necessary. It gave them an odd connection they might not have had otherwise, but he kind of liked the idea of a second Sixth. It kept things interesting.

That wasn't to say that they couldn't work as a complete, or even a partial unit. Anyone of them could, and had, paired up with another teammate at any time and function just as well as they would have alone or within their smaller group. But after spending so much time as a family unit, there was something special between Wes, Eric, Vanessa, and R.J., something that kept them connected. It had left the other four grouped together almost by default.

"How long will this take you?" Eric demanded, and Zhane snapped back to attention.

He shrugged lightly. "Depends. How long it takes me to get inside, how long to get around, if anyone notices ... It's a big building, so rough guess I'd say a few hours."

Eric scowled, and he tried not to sigh. He missed Wes. He knew that Eric was stressed and worried - honestly, who wasn't? - but Eric wasn't the leader that Wes was. He tried, and he managed better than the rest of them, despite what Taylor might have claimed, but Wes just ... held the team together. He always had. He was a natural leader, but he understood his teammates in a way not many people did.

It all lead back to his faith.

Zhane reached for the bag of blasters, slinging it absently over one shoulder. "Well, I'm off!" he declared cheerfully. "Wish me luck!"

"Be **careful** with those!" Justin hissed.

"Don't get caught," Taylor told him, rolling her eyes.

"Don't do anything stupid," Vanessa added almost absently, leaning against R.J. comfortably. R.J. barely glanced up, giving a small wave without really looking at him.

Chip smiled and patted his shoulder. "Good luck, Astro."

Eric said nothing, just gave him a sharp nod as R.I.C. barked beside him.

Zhane grinned at them all and jogged towards Time Force, whistling to himself. He loved missions like this. S.P.D. needed to do more spy work.

* * *

Infiltration was all about attitude.

Despite what Taylor had believed, his white and silver S.P.D. uniform had gotten barely so much as a glance when he strolled through the main doors. He hadn't wanted to push his luck though, so he made quick work of some poor sap who looked about the right size, stuffing him into a closet and stealing his uniform. "Sorry, buddy," he offered, patting the unconscious man's leg as he tucked his own uniform in the bag. "Nothing personal. Your company's just evil."

He slipped out and moved on into the hall.

Almost immediately he noted that people with ugly yellow-green shirts under their jackets were apparently important. This was good, he decided as he nodded sternly in response to another pair of saluting black-shirt people. Important people didn't get questions when they were in places they shouldn't be. Convenient.

The timeship dock and landing bay were ridiculously easy to locate, even if he hadn't had R.J.'s map. Really, Time Force had no imagination. Couldn't they make this at least a little difficult?

Turbo would have said he was asking for trouble.

He would have agreed.

The Command Center was as busy as he could have possibly hoped it would be. He hummed under his breath to himself as he slipped charges in beside the appropriate consoles. Five charges down, two to go.

Someone bumped into his shoulder as he headed for the door. "Excuse me," he murmured absently, hitching the bag higher against his shoulder.

"Captain?"

He paused, turning to glance back at the man who'd spoken and was now staring at him. Uh oh. This guy was dressed in black leather, not white. Color scheme changes were a bad sign.

"I'm afraid I don't recognize you," the man in black said slowly, frowning as he stared at Zhane.

"New transfer," he answered calmly, sliding to attention as he turned to face the man fully. "I'm here for the trial."

The man's eyes narrowed, and Zhane cursed silently. "Where's your identification?"

"Admiral Logan, Sir!"

The man in black made the mistake of turning, and Zhane darted around the open doorway into the hall. He slipped into the first door he found, sending a silent thanks to whatever forces were listening when it turned out to be a supply closet. He caught the door with his foot before it closed completely, listening.

"Sorry to interrupt Sir, but you said you wanted to meet Wes," a woman's voice explained.

Zhane's eyes widened.

He peered cautiously into the hallway, and found just enough clearance into the Command Center to see Admiral Logan facing a pretty brunette, and a very familiar blond man with a dog at his side. _Wes_, he sighed in relief. _You're okay._

He ducked back as Logan looked around, frowning. "Where did he - "

"Is something wrong Admiral?" the brunette asked, sounding suspicious.

"I was ... nevermind. It's an honor to finally meet you in person, Sergeant Commander Collins," Admiral Logan said solemnly, saluting Wes. Zhane made a face, both at the gesture and the strange, military-style salute Logan used. "I'm just sorry the circumstances had to be as they are." He dropped the salute, offering a hand instead.

Wes smiled as he accepted the handshake, but it didn't meet his eyes. "Likewise," he agreed.

Zhane frowned. Wes look pale and tired, and there were dark rings under his eyes. Why was Time Force keeping him here? Couldn't they see how miserable he was?

Jen shifted at his side, sniffing at the air. She jumped to her feet abruptly, turning towards the closet Zhane was hiding in. Her tail began to wag in excitement, and she woofed softly.

Uh oh. He ducked back into the closet, heart pounding. _Come on, girl. Cut me some slack here_, he pleaded silently.

"Easy, girl," he heard Wes mutter. "It's all right."

"She's a beautiful dog," Logan remarked.

"The best," Wes agreed, and now there was a hint of warmth to his voice. "She's more than I could have hoped for."

Jen barked, and Zhane smiled to himself.

"So I understand you'll be joining us for the trial again today?" Logan asked.

There was a pause. "Yes," Wes said finally. "I ... I need to be here. I need to see this."

"Don't let me keep you, then. The others must be waiting."

"Thank you, Admiral."

"Sir."

Zhane peered out long enough to watch Wes walk away with the brunette, Jen close to his side. He frowned worriedly. _Hang in there, Wes. We're right here. We'll get you out soon._

He shook himself, tightening a fist around his bag again and checking the hallway for clearance. He had a job to do.


	6. Provide a Distraction

**Author's Notes/:** I can't remember now who I first saw use the nickname for Dai Shi that Taylor uses, but it was so hilarious I had to steal it. If anyone recognizes it, please let me know so I can give the appropriate credit. Extra love to phantom_blue and Challon86 for their help in naming operations.

Step 6: Provide a Distraction

She glared at the landscape, hands on her hips. The outskirts of Newtech City was nothing but endless rock and desert. No plants. No animals. Just ... nothing.

Tears picked at her eyes. Her chest felt tight, fists clenching as she struggled to understand. For several minutes she paced back and forth. Then her temper finally broke, and she snatched a large rock of the ground, hurling it at the nearest building with a shriek of rage.

"Something wrong?"

She stiffened, whirling to glare at R.J. He met her gaze calmly, not even bothering to move from the lotus position he'd been sitting in for the last hour as they waited for word. "How can you just sit there?" she demanded furiously.

He raised his eyebrows. "As opposed to ... ?"

"**Doing** something!" she snapped back, pacing again. "Not just sitting here, staring at - staring at **nothing**!"

R.J. reminded her of Cole. Always had. Something about their weird pacifist natures, she guessed. The way they were almost **never** angry, and when they were, it was always over someone else instead of themselves. Usually something to do with -

"I'm getting the vibe this isn't boredom talking," R.J. commented mildly, tilting his head at her curiously.

She glared at him.

He gazed back.

At last she huffed, folding her arms and looking away. "You wouldn't understand," she muttered.

"You won't know that I don't understand unless you give me the opportunity to try." He smiled when she frowned at him. "Try me," he repeated.

She sighed. "I spent two years as a Power Ranger, fighting to protect the Earth," she said quietly, staring out over the barren landscape. "Trying to keep it safe and whole. And **this** is what comes of it." She gestured angrily at the horizon. Her eyes watered slightly, and she blinked harshly. "I mean, all that time ... fighting orgs, worrying about the ozone and natural resources and ... It was just ... " She stopped before her voice could crack, feeling her throat tighten uncomfortably.

"I see," R.J. murmured, frowning now. "That, I'm afraid, I understand completely."

She scowled at him. "I read your team file. Your mission was to take out that Dead Shoe guy. **My** team's mission was to protect the Princess Shayla, the Animarium, and the planet." She glared at the landscape again, wishing the tight feeling in her chest would go away.

"Ah. Yes. Well." R.J. looked amused. "As much as my mission as a Ranger was to foil the plans of the evil 'Dead Shoe', my mission as a member of the ecosystem has always been to protect the planet. Unfortunately, the average nature lover doesn't tend to get a morpher."

She closed her eyes with another, longer sigh. "What were we fighting for, if this is the result?" she asked softly. "Everything we wanted to protect is gone. If we were going to lose it anyway, why did we bother fighting at all?"

"But it isn't gone," R.J. said gently from behind her. His hand touched her shoulder, and she wondered distantly when he'd moved. "This planet is still here. People are still living on it. It's not the Earth you and I know and love, and maybe the miracle of life isn't so common here. But we don't know what happened to make it this way. Maybe the fact that the Earth is still standing **is** the miracle."

She swallowed, blinking rapidly. "That's terrible."

"Yes," he agreed quietly, and suddenly his arms were around her but she couldn't summon enough anger about it to make him let go. "But it's still a miracle."

She let her head fall against his with another sigh. "I wonder what's taking Astro so long," she murmured. "I can't stand this **waiting**."

" ... I could offer a helpful Zen quote about waiting and time, but I'm afraid you'd hit me," R.J. remarked.

She grinned, closing her eyes. "I would."

They stood in silence together for awhile longer, R.J.'s chin resting on her shoulder, and Taylor enjoying the feeling of someone holding on to her. She told herself she was cold, and possibly a little homesick. She ignored the fact that R.J.'s build was all wrong to even try and pretend he was Jason.

Maybe it was because he was a wolf spirit, and she hadn't seen Merrick and Zen-Aku for awhile. She wondered how they were doing, and if Merrick had finally decided to put his foot down and tell Cole that they had enough animals. Then she thought of Cole's wide, innocent eyes, and figured they'd been overrun a long time ago.

"I wonder if the princess knows I'm here," she thought aloud. "If Eagle Zord was able to find me again after all this time ... would she be able to, too?"

"I was under the impression Princess Shayla was only allowed to awaken if the planet was in danger."

"She is," she admitted, and even though it had been years she still felt a pang at the thought. "I guess I just thought ... nevermind."

R.J. hmmed.

She smiled a little, wondering what it would be like to talk to her mentor again. To tell her everything that had happened in her life and the other Rangers'. Everything Shayla had missed. About Alyssa's career as a kindergarten teacher, about Danny and Max bickering like the old married couple they were over the children Danny kept taking in off the streets. About Cole and Merrick moving in together, Cole helping every animal he could find, while Merrick seemed content with the wolf pack and trying to keep Cole from getting into trouble. About Jason, their daughter, and her own work with S.P.D.

Shayla would be happy for them all, she knew. Would she be proud? Would she wish she could have been there, too?

Eventually she shook her head slightly to clear it. There was no point in wondering about what would never happen. She had a job to do.

If Astro would ever **get off his lazy butt** and call already!

Her morpher beeped.

"Finally!" she shouted in exasperation, reaching for it. "This is Lightspeed and Fury."

R.J. made an odd sound in her ear, but didn't comment on the nickname she'd just given him. Not that she was giving him a choice about it anyway. If he was claiming he was Newtech, he was getting a name. And there was no way she was going to call him 'Wolf'.

"This is Astro." The voice was soft and slightly muffled. "We are ready for Operation Hamster."

"Mystic, Turbo, and Bo in position!" Chip said gleefully.

Justin could be heard in the background, muttering "Rangering doesn't pay enough for this."

"Commence with Operation ... Hamster," Eric muttered reluctantly. "Operation Candycane is on standby. Mystic, you are never naming anything again."

"Seconded," Taylor said quickly, in unison with Vanessa.

"You guys are no fun!" Chip protested.

"I dunno," R.J. chuckled over Taylor's shoulder. "I kinda like it."

"You would," she informed him as she snapped her morpher shut. "You ready for this?"

He smiled brightly at her. "As certain former student of mine use to say: Jungle Beasts! Spirit, Unleashed!"

* * *

She waited on the rooftop, watching with tears in her eyes as he landed in front of her. She moved forward before she even stopped to think about what she was doing, but he only bent his head down, watching her quietly. She didn't know how he recognized her in the strange uniform, but she didn't care. She reached up, gently touching either side of his beak and resting her helmet against it in the closest thing to a hug she would ever able to give him. He made a strangely soft noise that sounded something like a coo.

Cole had always been the closest to the Wild Zords outside of Shayla, and he had been the only one able to truly speak to them, but that didn't mean the rest of them hadn't cared just as much. And it didn't mean they hadn't found their own ways to communicate. Maybe they didn't use emotions, and she wasn't always sure he completely comprehended her words, but she and Eagle Zord understood each other just fine.

"I miss you," she said softly. She wasn't sure if she was referring to Eagle Zord himself, to being a Wild Force Ranger, to living on the Animarium ... Maybe all of it. All she knew was that as much as she loved her family, her life, and the new team she had found, it wasn't the same, and she missed it.

Eagle Zord cooed at her again, bumping his beak against her helmet with surprising gentleness.

He hadn't seen her in nearly a thousand years, she reminded herself. If anyone had a right to be lonely, it was him. And all this nostalgia wasn't her style.

Time traveling must have messed with her head, she decided.

She took a deep breath, steeling her resolve, and stepped back to look up at him. "I need your help," she said firmly.

He watched her, and something in his expression seemed curious.

"The people here have taken my friend and hurt his children - his hatchlings," she explained quietly, trying to simplify the situation for him as much as possible. "His ... " She mentally cringed at the word she was about to use, but she knew it was the best he would understand. "His mate wants to punish these people, and destroy their nest to protect his family. But we don't want any innocent people to get hurt, so we need a distraction." She pointed down and to the left, to the rooftop where Wolf Ranger stood waiting for her. "My friend over there, he's ... he's a wolf, like Merrick. He's going to let his Wolf play in the city, make people watch them. I need you to help him get their attention, and keep them watching you."

She looked up at him now, waiting uncertainly. This was asking a lot of him: Eagle Zord wasn't prone to silliness. Asking him to put on a show for humans just because she wanted to destroy a building was pushing the boundaries of their partnership, and she wasn't sure if it was too much.

Privately, she hoped he wouldn't be angry at her for it.

Eagle Zord bent his head down again, pushing his beak against her chest hard enough to make her stumble back. Then he opened his wings, let out a shriek that would have left her deaf if not for the helmet she wore softening the sound, and took to the sky.

Her ears rang as she watched him soar higher, trying to ignore the swell of disappointment. Well, she hadn't promised she could get his help. She had pointed out that him even knowing she here, let alone flying across four states just to see her as fast as he had, was pretty much a miracle. They'd just have to make do with whatever R.J. could do with his Wolf Zord, and hope it was enough.

She keyed her morpher. "Showtime, Fury," she said shortly, not bothering to explain.

She watched from her perch as Wolf Ranger did some sort of weird dance, and Wolf Zord just seemed to ... appear above him. He'd tried to explain to her how he could have a Zord **inside** of him, but the very thought made her head hurt. It was enough to chalk it up to the weirdness of the Power and whatever those Pie Zoo people R.J. was supposed to be one of were. There was enough magic-related madness in her life as it was; she didn't need to know anymore.

Wolf Ranger disappeared into Wolf Zord's forehead, and if she hadn't experienced something like it herself she probably would have winced. Seeing it from a distance, even knowing what it was, it just looked painful. But the Wolf Zord was already moving, leaping from building to building. He paused long enough to throw back his head, letting out a long howl.

The sound sent shivers down her spine.

And then another sound, louder and fiercer than the Wolf, and she spun to look. Eagle Zord came streaking down out of the sky, wings folded in a dive, and fell straight towards the ground. At the very last possible moment, his wings snapped open, and he snatched a parked car neatly up off the ground. Swinging around wide, he brought the car just above the rooftops with him, letting out another shriek, and tossed it high.

A very familiar looking red falcon caught it in mid-air.

Standing on the middle of a rooftop in a city over nine hundred years too old, watching her Eagle Zord play 'catch' with the Falcon Zord, R.J.'s Wolf Zord doing some strange sort of greeting dance with Merrick's Wolf Zord, and other Wild Zords appearing all over the place, Taylor threw back her head and laughed until she cried.


	7. Detonation

Step 7: Detonation

_Two wolf howls in less than twenty-four hours. Newtech City's ecologists must be freaking out_, he mused to himself. His eyes scanned the landscape even as he reached for his morpher. "Operation Hamster Phase Three. Begin Operation Candycane," he announced.

"Acknowledged," Vanessa, Chip, and Zhane chimed in from their designated places.

"Acknowledged," Eric returned. "Operation Candycane is go. Turbo," he added suddenly just as Justin was about to turn his morpher back off. "I owe you."

Justin closed his eyes, swallowing hard. "Yeah," he muttered, dropping the call before Eric could reply. It was more obvious than if he'd actually said something, but the fact that **Eric** of all people had noticed was ... Well, weird, and sort of nice at the same time. He knew Eric wasn't always the jerk he pretended to be. But that didn't change how he felt about this, and he wasn't going to pretend he liked doing it.

If this wasn't for Wes, he wouldn't be doing it all.

He stared at the Turbo Navigator, counting down silently in his head the amount of time they'd agreed on. His fingers moved automatically through the signal sequence, hovering over the final key. His hand was shaking.

_Tommy would never forgive me for this_, he thought distantly. _Neither would T.J._

But for **Wes** ...

He closed his eyes, and hit the final key.

The resulting explosion was louder than he'd expected, and he flinched at the sound. In his head, this wasn't Newtech City anymore, and it was Angel Grove he was trying not to imagine falling to the ground. It was the Power Chamber in ruins around him as he stared dismally at what had once been home.

_Well, that was easy. No wonder Divatox liked doing it so much._

He could feel how badly he was shaking now, and R.I.C. whined anxiously at his side. It took visible effort to calm himself, clenching a fist and scrunching his eyes shut to keep tears from falling. _I can do this_, he told himself. _I am stronger than this._

It wasn't enough this time, and he forced himself to picture Wes, his expression soft and sympathetic after waking him from a nightmare in the ruins of a dome collapse. Wes, who never judged or told him he needed to get past it, or suggested he 'talk to someone'. _Losing the only real home you've ever had isn't something you get over_, he'd said once, his eyes haunted as they shared memories of the Power Chamber and the Clock Tower. _It's something you learn to deal with. But it never stops hurting._

_I admire you, Justin_, he'd added, looking at him with such seriousness he could only stare back. _I've had nightmares about that night for years. I still wake up shaking just thinking about it. You were twelve years old. I was in my twenties. You deal with it a lot better than I do._

He opened his eyes.

* * *

Time Force was in relatively good shape for a building that had just survived seven simultaneous minor explosions. The S.P.D. issue blasters were gone now, and Weapons Lockup was going to have their heads, but they still had their morphers and the weapons that came with them. There was still the Zip Shooter and the Turbo Navigator, and R.I.C., who was more firepower than everything else combined.

Justin hesitated for a split second, looking up at the sky again as the Wild Zords and R.J. continued to put on the weirdest circus act he'd ever seen - and for someone who'd become a Ranger at eleven and drove a talking car, that was saying something. The two Wolf Zords seemed to be having some sort of race, which meant Fury was enjoying himself. If he squinted long enough he could see Lightspeed on the rooftop above them all, watching for signs of anyone coming after them. With that many Zords running around, it was inevitable that Time Force would eventually send out some of their own. Whatever Lightspeed had done to get the Wild Zords to cooperate, it was worth it: they couldn't have asked for a better distraction.

Now for his own part.

He slipped out into the flow of people rushing toward Time Force, tucking the Turbo Navigator into his back pocket. R.I.C. stayed obediently at his side, and he silently prayed that robot dogs were common enough in this time period that no one would give him a second look. B Squad - and Dustin - would never forgive them if something happened to him.

There were enough people still inside that no one paid any special attention to him when he began to help the wounded along. There weren't many - Taylor and R.J.'s distraction was good enough to get the majority of the building emptied it looked like - but there were still more than they'd hoped to see. Guilt weighed on him heavily as he lifted a tiny young woman onto a stretcher before she damaged her ankle further.

"Thank you," she whispered, looking exhausted but grateful.

He tried to force himself to smile at her. "Don't mention it," he murmured, already moving on to the next victim. _Please._

The lights flickered dramatically, making several people cry out in alarm, and he forced himself to look up as if he was worried. None of the charges would have effected anything besides the stations they were meant to, but that didn't mean they didn't want people to assume things were as fine as they actually were. Mystic had been more than eager for a chance to show of his magic, claiming lighting and storm spells were his specialty.

He shook his head wryly at himself, passing over the box of medical equipment someone was demanding. He was a scientist and former Turbo Ranger, relying on magic spells and blowing up essential components of a major corporation. _How the mighty have fallen_, he mused.

"I'm telling you A, something's weird."

The voice wasn't what caught his attention so much as the tone. He snuck a glance to the teenager in the corner who was glaring at his wrist. "I'm serious!" the teen hissed. "Something about all this isn't right. It's ... it's too organized. Too careful. There's just ... something wrong with it."

Justin's eyes narrowed. _Oh, no you don't. Sorry Kid, but Team Loyalty comes before Ranger Loyalty_. He looked down to the dog at his side. "R.I.C. Distract," he ordered softly, nodding in the teen's direction.

R.I.C.'s tail went up eagerly at the chance to be useful, and he was off like a shot.

"No, I can't give you anything specific!" The teenager ran a hand over his hair, looking agitated. "There's something here we're not seeing, I know it." He paused to listen, his expression turning to dark fury in a way that was frighteningly familiar. "I don't care who took courses in tactics and disaster situations!" he snarled. "And the next time I see him, I'll tell Lucas to his face!"

R.I.C. barked.

The kid looked up, startled.

R.I.C. bowed to him playfully, and barked again.

"Hey there ... " the teen said softly. He frowned briefly before softening his expression into a gentle smile. "Hi, boy. What are you doing here? Are you lost?" Slowly, hesitantly, he reached out a hand.

R.I.C. tilted his head, whining curiously, tail wagging. The kid's hand touched his head, and his visual lights turned upwards as he gave another bark in happiness. It made the teenager smile, the tension slowly fading from his shoulders.

Without warning, R.I.C.'s mouth closed around the morpher strapped to the teen's left wrist, and yanked. The next moment he was darting down the hall, tail still high. The teen yelled in surprise and chased after him.

_Dustin deserves a medal for that dog_, Justin thought ruefully. _And Eric's going to kill me for letting R.I.C. steal his son's morpher._

"I need some help over here!"

He spun at the sound of Zhane's voice, his hand reaching back almost instinctively toward the Turbo Nav. Zhane stumbled out of an elevator, half-carrying a man who was clearly unconscious, and badly burned. "Somebody give me a hand!" Zhane shouted again.

He stared at them, barely registering people running toward Zhane to assist him. All he could see was the man in Zhane's arms, the paleness of his face contrasted by blackened skin. Then the world went gray, and he was running.

He wasn't exactly clear on where or when he stopped, just that when he did, tears pricked his eyes as he emptied the contents of his stomach on the ground. _I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry_, he chanted silently, heaving dry sobs. _I didn't mean it. Please, please forgive me!_

Cool hands supported him, smoothing his hair and rubbing his back. "Shh ... " a familiar voice murmured, surprisingly gentle. "Just let it go, Turbo. Just let it go."

He choked on another sob as his stomach finally settled, closing his eyes and allowing Vanessa to pull him back against her. Her hand stroked his forehead soothingly. "It's over," she whispered in his ear, resting her head against his cheek. "It's over now."

"I'm sorry," he choked out. "I'm so sorry."

"You did what you had to do." Another voice now, more familiar than the first, and just as gentle. A hand reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "We have to protect our own, Turbo," Chip reminded him softly. "You did it for Wes."

_Wes._

That name was the only salvation he had, and he clung to it desperately. Wes, one of his best friends. Wes, who had saved his life time and again. Wes, who always believed in him, always trusted him, who admired him for being a Ranger at such a young age when others looked at him like he was a joke. Wes, who had been his teammate for twelve years. Wes, who had cried just as hard as he had when Elizabeth disappeared, who had been the first to cry with him again when she was found.

He did it for Wes.

"Do we ... " He coughed, forcing himself to swallow. The world was still slightly watery when he opened his eyes, but he forced himself to focus on Chip's solemn expression. "Do we have him? Has Quantum confirmed?"

As if in answer, all three of their morphers went off at once.

Chip was the first to reach for his. "Mystic, Turbo, and Bo," he announced, ignoring that part of the plan had been for them to separate, making them less suspicious.

"This is Quantum." Eric's voice was flat and unamused. "Operation Candycane is confirmed. We have a problem."


	8. Wait for Rescue

Step 8: Wait for Rescue

The walk to the new home of the Ranger Memorial Statue had been silent ever since Jen warned Alex they wouldn't be rejoining them for the trial. Alex hadn't sounded happy about it, but promised to update them later. Jen had offered him an uncertain smile before leading the way, and something about her posture told him she didn't know what to say to him anymore.

He could relate.

Making small talk about Newtech City and Time Force was nothing important. Talking about Alex ... well, that was awkward, but necessary for his peace of mind. And Jen seemed to understand, at least a little, that he loved Alex enough to worry about him.

She wouldn't understand why it was so much more than that, though. There was no way she could. And he hoped that she'd never understand: he didn't want her to have to suffer the way he did.

He tried to keep thinking about Jen and the others, trying to keep himself calm. But he couldn't stop thinking about that strange flash of gold on the corner of his vision in the sky that looked suspiciously familiar, and the way his morpher had flickered three times. It had happened so fast, he had to convince himself it hadn't been wishful thinking. But even if that's all it was, he couldn't take the chance. Because he couldn't risk being wrong.

It was standard Newtech Ranger alert code, developed in the months on Aquitar by Zhane, who claimed it was better to be safe than sorry. A silent triple flash was an order to gather at the nearest meeting place for a chance to regroup. A double flash would have been a check-in request, repeated if it was urgent. Continuous flashing was an emergency, and was usually followed by check-in to confirm where everyone was, and find out who was in trouble.

It had been only two months since Taylor and Vanessa had joined the team, almost three for Eric, but during the weeks they'd started rebuilding the damage done to S.P.D., Wes had made sure to introduce them all to the codes. He had also given them their badges, letting Justin handle the explanations why, and explained to them the rules of being a Newtech Ranger. Six rules, as set down by the team on Aquitar. One rule per Ranger, one team to follow them.

Rule One, Tori: Loyalty to the Team first.

Rule Two, Zhane: Loyalty to what was important to the Team.

Rule Three, Justin: Never abandon a teammate in need, for any reason.

Rule Four, Dax: Trust in each other, no matter what.

Rule Five, Chip: Complete and total honesty within the Team. No secrets, no lies.

Rule Six, his own: We are **always** a team. Time, distance, other teams, or whatever else may separate us, we remain a team. This Team is forever.

He wondered if there should be three new rules now, and what Eric and the girls would chose to instate.

Eventually he shook his head with a sigh. _So much for not thinking about it_, he thought ruefully. _Seems like everything reminds me of the team these days_.

Or at least, everything about being here did.

He closed his eyes to prevent tears, letting Jen lead him. He didn't do it often - having his sight back was a gift he never wanted to stop appreciating - but there were times when he was grateful that he'd kept her. For a day, maybe two, he'd actually thought about returning her to the trainer he'd gotten her from so that someone else could use her skills, but the thought of letting her go was too painful. And now, having her here at his side to protect him and trusting her to lead him down the street without consciously stopping to think about it, he was glad he'd talked himself out of it.

The fact that he'd closed his eyes was probably the only reason he was paying enough attention to hear it. A howl. A wolf's howl, with that strange metallic quality to it that could only be made by a Zord.

His eyes snapped open.

The human Jen had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, looking around with a frown. "Did you hear something?" she asked suspiciously.

He blinked at her. "Something?" he echoed.

"It almost sounded like ... like a Zord," she murmured, looking around warily. "Or a wolf ... "

He forced a laugh. "Like what? You think there's a giant metal wolf running around the city right now?"

She looked at him for a moment and finally huffed a laugh, looking down. "How's Merrick been?" she asked softly, turning to walk on.

He smiled genuinely, both at the fact that she'd let it go, and the chance to talk about someone he knew. "Doing pretty well, last I heard. He and Cole have a cabin in the woods somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, and Cole said they'd just adopted another wolf into their pack. And Cole's still taking care of anything that walks, flies, crawls, or swims." His smile softened. "They're happy."

She turned to look at him again, startled. "Merrick and Cole?"

He laughed, grinning at her. "Yes, believe it or not." His smile faded a little, and he shrugged. "When Shayla went back to sleep on the Animarium, she made Merrick stay on Earth. From what Cole said, they lost track of him for awhile and they were starting to worry, so Cole hunted him down and just ... stayed with him, I guess. They eventually built the cabin, and never left."

She frowned slightly. "I wouldn't have pictured them together. I thought that Cole and Alyssa ... "

"Everyone did," he agreed. Had he just heard a bird? "But Cole's never really said anything about her **or** Merrick either way. And even though they live together, he and Merrick won't say whether it's more than just companionship. We think it might be from the signs, but ... " He shrugged. "Cole's not talking, and Merrick never does."

She almost smiled then. "And the others?"

"Well, Alyssa's still working as a kindergarten teacher. She says she's happy, and she's gotten a lot of teaching awards. Danny and Max are living together, taking care of kids Danny picks up off the street." He clenched Jen's leash a little tighter in his hand, because even now, it was hard not to feel resentful. "Max hates it, but he puts up with them for Danny's sake. Taylor's married now, with a daughter. She and her husband both work at S.P.D.; Jason's one of my supervisors, actually. And their daughter Casey is on C Squad."

"What does Taylor do at S.P.D.?"

"She's in Vehicle Design and Maintenance, designing Zords. She says she hates it, but everyone knows she's lying." He grinned fondly.

Jen smiled at that, and finally slowed. "There it is," she said quietly.

He looked to where she pointed and swallowed hard.

He'd always hated the Memorial Statue. It was a constant reminder of Mirloc, his friends, and how badly he failed. It reminded him of the years he'd lost, of Eric raising Sky without him, of his son growing up into someone he didn't know. It reminded him of that day, of screaming, of pain, and of the realization that he'd lost Dax and Tori while he did **nothing**. Of five years in the dark, trying to remember his friend's faces.

It was a tribute to his failures, and just looking at it made him want to throw up.

But it was one of the few things from home that was still here. And if that **had** been the signal code on his morpher he'd thought it was, he needed to find some place they would know. Time Force wasn't the same as S.P.D., but the statue hadn't changed. It was older, but it still remained.

He walked toward it slowly, reaching out to trace the words that should have been there. "Hi, guys," he murmured, looking up at it. "Looks like you lasted longer than the rest of us after all ... "

He started talking for the sake of talking, barely aware of his own words. He told Jen what the statue stood for, who it represented. He told her who they were, and by the time he got to Dax and Tori and how he'd lost them, he was crying. His Jen was whimpering anxiously beside him, trying to make him stop, but once he'd started he couldn't. The human Jen stayed silent, but he could see the tears in her eyes as he went on to tell her how much he missed them, how much they **meant** to him.

It was more than he'd ever planned to tell any of them about himself, and he was somewhat surprised that he'd been able to say it without Eric hovering right behind him. But Jen was Jen, and he owed her a lot of things. Even this. She'd never understand why or just how much he'd changed since that last day on the beach, but she deserved to know something. Even if it tore him apart to say it.

He brushed a hand across his eyes, trying to rein his emotions back in. At last he turned to look at Jen again, taking in the way she struggled not to cry for him. "I almost lost my life that day," he told her quietly. "This morpher is the only thing that saved me. And even then, I wasn't really **saved**. Just alive." He swallowed, glancing back up at the statue. "That's what this statue means to me. That's what everyone forgot."

"I won't." Her voice was thick with tears, but her tone was firm. "I won't forget what it means, Wes. I promise."

He turned to offer her a weak smile. "Thank you," he said simply.

The sound of an explosion split the air.

Jen whirled, already reaching for her morpher. "That came from Time Force!" she shouted, breaking into a sprint.

Wes remained where he was, smiling softly as he closed his eyes. "Eric," he sighed in relief.

The soft crunch of boots on grass was the only sound, but he knew. He'd known he was being watched as soon as he began to explain for Jen. It was something between five years of listening to know where the people around him were, and something from twenty-seven years of being partners. Because even when they were separated, he'd always thought of Eric as his partner.

He opened his eyes, still smiling, and drank in the sight of his husband in front of him. He took in the soft, relieved look in Eric's eyes as he stared back, the shadows and lines of his face that told how worried he'd been. The tension in his shoulders that showed how on edge he still was, and the way his fingers twitched even as he moved toward Wes.

And then Eric was dropping down to kneel next to him. In front of Jen.

"Good girl," he informed the retriever. "You did a good job."

Jen's tail wagged enthusiastically as she practically wriggled with delight. She barked once, trying to lick Eric's face.

He laughed softly, pushing her back down, and ruffling her ears. "Down. Good girl. Good girl."

She settled and sat down, but her tail continued to wag.

Wes folded his arms as Eric finally stood back up and turned to look at him now. "You hugged the dog first," he said flatly.

Eric raised his eyebrows, looking faintly amused. "I did."

Wes' eyes narrowed. "You. Hugged the **dog**. First," he repeated.

"Yes, Wes. I hugged the dog first," Eric said patronizingly. And then he was *there* right in front of him, so close Wes could feel warm breath on his face, and he could smell him, hear him, and he was _here_. "The dog takes less time to say hello," Eric murmured, leaning in.

And then he was drowning in kisses and warm hands running over his arms and shoulders, and it was **perfect**.


End file.
